Iris japonica 'Variegata'
Nice little hardy, evergreen, variegated Iris with slightly frilly-edged white and lilac flowers held aloft on spikes. Grows to around 2ft tall with a pleasingly simple spiky form. In our family it is known as ‘Wonka Trousers’ due to the crisp Tim Burton-esque white stripes on it. An Iris for sunny spots in not too cold gardens and a testament to its drought resistance is its ability to grow happily on roofs although we don’t know how they get up there. Terrestrially, a spot against a warm wall or in a sheltered sunny nook would be just fine and far easier to admire. I’ve seen some cracking ones huddled around a stone cattle trough in chilly Derbyshire. Must be noted the trough was in a south facing aspect and decommissioned: it’s doubtful they’d endure bovine trampling but that said they are pretty tough. It spreads slowly by its chubby and gnarly roots, and like many herbaceous things with leathery leaves it will benefit from being cut down in the spring so you only look at fresh new leaves in the summer. It prefers acid soil but will tolerate slightly limey soil.
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